On Friday, September 4, Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Principal Peter Badalament notified parents that support was being offered to students and staff in response to the death of twelfth-grader Clair Day of Concord the previous day. He wrote “We all feel the grief associated with losing a member of our community.” It was reported in the online Concord Journal (www.wickedlocal.com) that Concord police reports indicate the death was a suicide.

Contacted this week Badalament stated, “Our counseling staff has been working very hard over the past few days to support students who are grieving for Clair.” He added that “a memorial service is being planned by her friends and family.” Tentatively scheduled for Friday, September 18 at 6 p.m., he said students will be notified once more details are known.

Badalament noted that the Samariteens Hotline (1-800-252-TEEN) offers confidential peer support for teens suffering from depression, stress, or loneliness. In addition, he shared a list of suggestions for supporting a grieving teen including: talk honestly and avoid cliches; make time to be available; avoid judgments; and “understand that grief is a lifetime event and there is no timeframe for a person grieving and mourning the loss.” ∆